The Waterfront Season-Finale Recap: Who’s the Boss?

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Check this out! For the first time this season, it seems like the four primary Buckleys (five if you’re counting Shawn) are operating as one cohesive unit. Isn’t it heartwarming? Granted, it takes something drastic like a kidnapping and being held hostage on a yacht in the middle of the ocean with a dangerous psychopath to bring this about, but let’s appreciate the small victories. Despite the unity among the family being short-lived, as the episode concludes, this period of mutual support among the Buckleys is shattered. Soak up this moment where they openly express their concern for one another. Savor the tender side of Harlan Buckley while it lasts, because if The Waterfront gets a second season and Belle plays her secret card behind his back, we might not see that man for quite some time.

In this final episode, Harlan and Belle’s relationship takes a tumultuous turn. Even though Harlan is still resentful towards Belle due to the land deal, he finds himself on the couch while Belle informs him that Bree has not returned home. It’s quite intriguing that it falls upon Belle to suggest Grady as a possible suspect in her disappearance, given that just hours earlier, Harlan was emphasizing the need to protect all women and children. His reaction – “I have tasks to attend to” – may stem from his anger towards Belle, but considering the dead bodies discovered in the ice room at the fish house, perhaps he should prioritize finding their missing daughter, especially since the town’s resident psychopath has declared revenge.

It isn’t until Cane arrives at the fish house that Harlan takes decisive action. This action involves simply phoning Grady to inquire, “Hey, by any chance, do you have my daughter?” Indeed, Grady does have Harlan’s daughter, but what he truly desires is Harlan himself. He issues an ultimatum: Harlan for Bree. He promises to reveal his location, and if Harlan brings anyone else along, it will cost Bree her life.

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but chuckle at the predicament the Buckleys find themselves in. It’s quite clear that if Harlan decides to leave, Grady will not hesitate to harm him. In this family meeting, Harlan, in his usual manner, presents a solution (naturally) – he intends to retrieve his daughter. However, the reaction is far from encouraging, with everyone voicing their doubts about the effectiveness of such a plan.

Throughout this season, Harlan has boasted about his ability to navigate every crisis in the drug-smuggling business. He claims to have all the answers because he’s seen it all. Yet, every time he promises a solution or assures that he’ll handle it, his plans lack any substantial details whatsoever.

In this episode, Harlan admits to being an old man set in his ways, a statement he uses to appease Grady. But let me tell you, Harlan’s insincerity is palpable, and this stubbornness is his most glaring flaw. He believes he knows best and that his way is the only way.

Fortunately, in this specific instance, Shawn offers an alternative to sending Harlan to certain doom. And to my relief, Harlan listens.

Simultaneously on the yacht, Bree finds out that Diller is also present. He overheard Grady’s men attempting to harm her, so he jumped onto their boat to shield her. However, instead of alerting the Buckleys about Bree’s kidnapping, which would have been more useful, Diller – who acted impulsively after meeting Grady for just a few seconds – is not exactly known for his thinking skills. Now, Bree must devise a strategy to deescalate the situation or seize control of the yacht. She agrees to dine with Grady, who informs her that Harlan is on his way, but she decides not to wait for Grady’s plans. When she spots an opportunity, she breaks a bottle of vodka and uses it as a weapon against one man, steals another man’s gun, and shoots him in the leg. For a moment, it seems Bree might have overpowered Grady. However, Diller, who had been hiding, bursts out upon hearing a gunshot, causing Grady’s men to apprehend him. This incident underscores the challenges of parenthood, people.

In a surprising turn of events that seems more like a plot device than a character choice, Grady decides to spare both Bree and Diller when making an exchange with Harlan. Instead of shooting Bree in cold blood as we’ve seen him do before, he shoots her in the thigh and pushes her overboard. Grady claims she’ll eventually bleed out, but this is far from his usual brutal methods. Diller, surprisingly, throws a life raft pack into the water after Bree. Despite this act of mercy, Grady leaves without attempting to rescue her. Bree inflates the raft, stops the bleeding with her belt, and experiences a hallucination where she frees her younger self from the guilt she harbors over her grandfather’s death. It would be refreshing if Bree survives this ordeal!

On the yacht, Harlan arrives, only to find Cane and Shawn secretly emerging from a hidden compartment, intending to search for Bree while Harlan converses with Grady. However, Grady is shrewd enough to discern that Harlan’s words of redemption are insincere, as he understands he’s being manipulated. This realization sparks suspicion in Grady. Contrary to what Harlan suggests, none of them view him as a good person! A brutal beating ensues, and Grady admits to having thrown Bree overboard, keeping Diller captive instead. In a chilling turn of events, Grady’s men prepare to execute Harlan (Grady himself finds it difficult to carry out such acts, showcasing his devotion as a fan), but Cane and Shawn suddenly appear, causing pandemonium.

In due course, Cane and Harlan corner Grady near their boat’s edge. He attempts to provoke both of the Buckleys mentally. Mocking Cane for his failure to kill him, he also needles Harlan about disliking a son like this, someone who is “too cowardly to pull the trigger—,” but before he can utter the full word, Cane, fed up, fires twice, hitting Grady directly in the head. At least he exits with his favorite pastime: talking. With that, Grady is no more and this distressing episode in the Buckley family chronicles concludes.

They manage to find Bree – who fires off a flare gun, as Diller advises, ensuring her own safety – and she’s bruised but will recover. Cane acknowledges Shawn’s achievements. Harlan expresses his affection for his son in his unique Harlan fashion – he concedes that he manipulated him into staying in town because he didn’t want to run his business without him. Belle and Harlan patch up their differences; they care for each other despite their animosity. It’s all rather endearing, albeit tainted by the damaged, toxic dynamics of Buckley.

Behind Harlan’s obliviousness, his wife has secretly been concocting detailed plans – ones involving definite actions, particulars, and essential elements of a plan – with the Parkers. While others are busy trying to rescue Bree, Belle remains in the shadows, managing the grim task of handling the deceased bodies. She summons Emmett Parker’s henchmen, and Emmett openly expresses his admiration for Belle, suggesting she should lead any ventures the Buckleys might be interested in. He offers his assistance should she require it.

The season concludes with the botched land deal still unresolved. Emmett summons Belle to the Buckley fish house, where he’s overseeing a violent attack on Wes Benson. Belle inquires if they plan to murder him, showing no surprise at finding Wes bound, taped, and bleeding in her establishment. It seems as though she has asked for his treatment. However, they have no intention of killing him. Instead, they aim to use him. They need his undivided loyalty to both of them to renegotiate the land deal. Emmett wants Wes to understand who is in control. He addresses Belle directly, stating that he’ll do whatever she desires. It is now Belle Buckley who holds the reins.

Bait & Tackle

In this series, the characters’ humorously skewed priorities never fail to amuse me. Upon Peyton’s return from Durham, Cane confesses about his and his father’s drug-smuggling affair, including the gunfight at Grady’s farm, which barely fazes her. What truly upsets her is learning he had been unfaithful. When he admits it, that’s what sets her off. But she demands calmness, arguing now isn’t the right moment!

In a pleasing turn of events, The Waterfront offers more complexity to Peyton beyond being merely the “woman who blames another woman for her husband’s poor decisions.” When Peyton encounters Jenna and learns that her father has passed away, causing Jenna to weep, it is Peyton who provides comfort during an incredibly difficult day. This act of kindness ultimately leads Jenna to end things completely with Cane, refusing to see him anymore.

At the finale of the episode, Peyton appears quite threatening as she brings Cane back, begins cooking something, and insists everything’s okay while ensuring it stays that way. In other words, it seems like Peyton is asserting her control over the situation now.

In their heartwarming reunion, it’s hard not to think that Diller might still be far from fully understanding or accepting the impact of her actions towards Marcus.

• There has to be more to Shawn sticking around for this shit show, right?

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2025-06-24 00:54